In short – yes, Nikocado Avocado likely qualifies as disabled based on obesity, mobility limitations, injuries, and respiratory issues resulting from his excessive weight gain. However, the nuances around whether he exaggerated symptoms or induced his own declines for fame and profit remain debated.
Rising Vegan YouTuber Turned Junk Food Addict
Let me introduce you to Nicholas Perry, better known as Nikocado Avocado. Born in 1992 in Ukraine, he was adopted to America as a child alongside his brother. Showing early talent for violin, Nikocado earned a scholarship to a prestigious music school in New York.
Launching a YouTube channel in 2012, fit, vibrant Nikocado built an audience over 500,000 as a vegan chef and violinist. But by 2017, his content shifted entirely to extreme fast food mukbangs, sparking dramatic weight gain over the next few years.
The Physical Effects of Massive Weight Gain
At 5‘7", Nikocado‘s weight ballooned from around 180 pounds to over 400 pounds since 2017. Data shows the average American male‘s weight is 197.8 pounds. So he exceeded average by over 200 pounds.
The impacts were clearly visible – severe obesity, breathing issues, mobility limitations. By 2021, simple tasks became challenges. Nikocado claimed that mobility scooters or even wheelchairs were necessary to get around.
Documented Health Issues
- Over 300 lbs by 2021, up from 180 lbs in 2017
- Arthritis causing chronic joint pain as early as 2016
- Broken ribs in 2021 leaving him bedridden
- Respiratory impairment – audible wheezing and shortness of breath
- Limited mobility requiring scooter or wheelchair since 2021
Analyzing Nikocado‘s Alleged Mental Health Disorders
Beyond physical ailments, Nikocado has claimed mental conditions like OCD, ADD and food addiction. Though specifics around formal diagnosis or treatment remain unclear.
Videos do showcase erratic behavior – emotional breakdowns, binge eating despite consequences, impulsiveness. This could indicate underlying psychological elements like depression, anxiety, trauma related to his childhood adoption.
However, Nikocado is also quite performative. Some meltdowns appear exaggerated for views. So while mental health or addiction issues seem evident, determining sincere versus fabricated symptoms proves complex.
Fact or Fiction? Examining the Validity of Disability Claims
Objectively, Nikocado‘s severe obesity and reduced mobility meet disability criteria. But does willfully allowing his weight to balloon for fame invalidate that status? It‘s debated.
Critics argue he exploits laxness around disability qualifications, which typically don‘t place value judgements on whether conditions are willfully acquired.
Others believe that regardless of origins, Nikocado exhibits clear mobility-based disabilities requiring accommodation. His food addiction may be considered an unavoidable disease rather than personal failing.
There are good-faith points on both sides. But Nikocado does appear to leverage his symptoms, however they emerged, for dramatic effect. Gaining views and income from showcasing his own declining health has raised ethical issues.
The Lucrative Appeal of Outrageous Mukbang Personas
Why would someone damage their health so severely for YouTube fame? Simply put, it pays.
Nikocado earns income from:
- YouTube Adsense on 5 channels totaling 16 million subscribers
- Sponsored video deals
- Patreon subscriptions – over 800 paying $10-$100 per month
- Merchandise sales
His net worth is estimated between $2 million to $4 million. Mukbang personas like Nikocado or Hungry Fat Chick generate views by pushing boundaries of excess. The more extreme their eating and consequences, the higher their earnings.
But is such short-term profit worth long-term health impacts? For Nikocado, the financial temptations have clearly overridden logical restraint so far.
A Troubling Downward Spiral Over 6 Years on YouTube
Looking at Nikocado‘s changes since 2017 really emphasizes the effects of his mukbang alter ego:
| Year | Weight | Health Issues |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Around 180 lbs | Athletic, fit vegan chef |
| 2019 | Over 200 lbs | Beginning obesity, stamina decline |
| 2021 | Over 300 lbs | Arthritis, broken ribs, mobility limitations |
| 2022 | Near 400 lbs | Requires wheelchair, respiratory impairment, emotional breakdowns |
This steady physical and mental decline resulted directly from his excessive mukbang persona. The will to change seems lacking when it attracts millions of views and dollars. But at what final cost?
Potential Motivations Behind the Outrageous Persona
Psychology suggests many possibilities for what drives Nikocado‘s extreme behavior:
- Trauma and abandonment issues from childhood adoption may manifest in seeking attention and acceptance.
- Mental illness like depression or anxiety could lead to self-destructive actions.
- Personality disorders like histrionic or borderline types prone to dramatic reactions and instability.
- Addiction to food numbs negative feelings, becomes impossible to control.
I cannot diagnose Nikocado‘s exact conditions. But excessive eating to the point of disability implies underlying psychological factors requiring professional help.
Hope for Redemption? Predictions Going Forward
If Nikocado can step back from his mukbang persona, he may still improve his health and use his fame more positively.
With his platform, he could share his story to help others struggling with:
- Food addiction
- Obesity
- Disability accommodation
- Discrimination based on weight or appearance
- Recovering from mental illness
However, the temptations to continue profiting off dangerous excess remain strong. Only time will tell if Nikocado chooses recovery or further decline.
My hope is that he seeks help and embraces a healthier lifestyle. But the next chapter remains uncertain for this troubled internet figure.
Final Thoughts
In closing, while Nikocado Avocado‘s behaviors are extreme, his underlying struggles connect to universal human experiences – the longing for acceptance, battling demons like addiction or depression, the double edged sword of fame.
Perhaps with compassion, we can learn from his story. I wish Nikocado healing and peace however the rest of his journey unfolds.
